Using midi keyboard comtroller with Cubase Artist 6

I have Cubase Artist 6 and am trying to use an Alesis Q25 as a keyboard controller.

Q25 installed ok as a USB device, appears in ‘Device Setup / Midi Port Setup’ as an active device in Cubase.
On the track I have the Q25 set as the device on input routing.
Output is routed thro to Halion Sonic and I have sample loaded on the track
Record is enabled on the track.
I have tried every midi channel on the Q25
I have tried rebooting the computer (twice)
I have ensured the Q25 connected before opening Cubase

I am using a HP Pavilion dv7 Notebook PC / Windows 7 / intel Core i7.

I am stuck!! Am I missing something fundamental?

Monitor has to be enabled to hear live play. MIDI Thru has to be checked in Prefs.